


And So We Say Goodbye

by khayerynne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Canonical Child Abuse, Established Relationship, Harry owns the Magical Menagerie, Heartbreak, Hurt/Comfort, Love is a dirt road, M/M, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-15 19:57:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3460034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khayerynne/pseuds/khayerynne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Let them be happy, someone once said that that is the greatest sacrifice you can do for love. Let them be happy, with or without you. In a world where everyone has a soulmate, sometimes two, is it even possible to be happy without the other half of your soul?</p><p>Everyone has a soulmate, that special person that compliments you perfectly. For someone like Harry who has spent most of his life unloved, having two mates comes as a pleasant surprise. But when your mates were mates before you came along, everything changes; especially when those two were your childhood enemies. Will Harry always be looking from the outside or will he finally have the love he’s been wanting his entire life?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Assume that Voldemort was defeated when Harry was a baby. Voldemort never survived the backlash of the killing curse. Harry still lived with the Dursleys until his second year when he was adopted by Sirius and Remus. Sirius was imprisoned for 5 years for attacking Peter Pettigrew (understandably) at a medium-level prison facility.

1999

Harry hummed as he cleaned out the cages of the newly-hatched Blast-ended Skrewts, he was elbow deep in Skrewt droppings and litter but he didn’t mind. Though he could have cleaned the cages out by magic but some creatures just didn’t respond well to magic – Blast-ended skrewts were just one of them. It was a relatively slow day at the shop, weekdays usually were since most children would be at school and their parents would be at work. Harry usually used the time to catch up on his cleaning. 

Harry wore thick dragon-hide gloves that reached his elbows, it was last year’s birthday present from Charlie Weasley, as he cleaned, scrubbed and washed. Sweat beaded on his forehead, droplets slithering down his face. Harry used the sleeve of this shirt to wipe his face. When he was a child living at the Dursleys, he loathed cleaning and scrubbing and mopping and sweeping. But sometimes, these days, he liked the work. Especially because there was no one screaming at him every so often to do this again or clean that again or not good enough, do it again. He liked cleaning the cages of his magical creatures and seeing them play in clean cages. He liked seeing his animals happy and healthy. His animals loved him as long as he fed them, gave them water and somewhere warm (or cold, depending on the preference) to sleep. It didn’t matter if how handsome or how ugly he was, how rich or how poor, who he was mated to – as long he kept his hands gentle and took care of them, they loved him.

A bell rang and echoed throughout the store. A customer, probably. Without looking up from his cleaning, Harry greeted, “Welcome to the Magical Menagerie!”

“Harry!” Dennis Creevey called out to his boss, " I got the herbs you wanted from Neville’s shop. Though I’m not so sure what kind of lilies you wanted.” Several packages floated into the shop behind Dennis as he struggled with the particularly squirmy baby mandrake in his arms.

“I got the pink ones though, they seemed the prettiest,” Dennis laid the mandrake on the floor next to a couple of empty cages. 

Harry chuckled, “It doesn’t really matter, Dennis. The flowers are for Mother. Nothing brightens her day more than flowers in the morning.” Harry took off the dragon-hide gloves, wiped his face with his sleeve and reached for the bouquet of pink lilies still floating in mid-air.

Dennis brows furrowed as arranged the packages on the counter. “Somehow, I can’t seem to decide whether you did something wrong and you’re trying to get Mrs. Malfoy to forgive you or you just want to give her flowers.” He glanced at Harry, "Mate, you know that you’re already her favorite, right? Whatever you do, she’ll forgive you. And that’s saying a lot, other mother-in-laws hate their child’s mate.”

“You’re just being dramatic, Dennis. Mother-in-laws are not always monster-in-laws.” Harry placed the Blast-ended Skrewts back in their cages carefully, making sure he had a good hold because who knew when they might decide to propel themselves to the ceiling. “Enough of that, mate. I just like surprising her from time to time.”

“And that’s why you’re her favorite,” Dennis smirked. “But what about your other mother-in-law?” 

Harry shook his head, “Mamma is allergic to flowers but she will never admit that. I just give her chocolates instead.” Harry disappeared into the storage room and came out with a box of Honeyduke’s finest chocolates. 

Dennis laughed, “I wondered why you had so much chocolate in there! I thought you had a hoarding problem!"

Harry grinned and threw a dirty rag at him, “Back to work, Creevey!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Dennis gave him a sloppy salute before heaving bags of feed into the storage room.

Harry fussed over the bouquet and the chocolate for a few moments, adding a quick note to each.

“Dobby!” The Malfoy house elf appeared with a loud pop.

Dobby’s large ears quivered excitedly, "Master Harry sir! What can Dobby be doing for you?" 

Harry smiled as he handed Dobby the flowers and the chocolate, “These flowers are for Mother and the chocolates are for Mamma. Please give these to them."

"Yes, sir, Master Harry, sir!” Dobby nodded eagerly and then popped away. 

Harry had bought the Magical Menagerie right after graduating from Hogwarts using the inheritance that he had gotten from his parents. It was a win-win situation – he loved dealing with magical creatures and he could do his work near home. When he had bought the shop, he had thought of changing the name but decided against it. There was a legacy to be kept. After all, it was in this same shop that he had bought Hedwig. Changing the name would be like changing the name of Hogwarts, it was going against tradition.

 

It was nearing five when Harry began closing the shop. They had a few customers looking for the more common pets: kneazles, toads, cats, owls. One man was looking for a more dangerous sort, ashwinders. Harry was usually careful whenever he had someone come in looking for the more dangerous sort of animals but today was one of the good days.

Harry was at the counter, counting out the day’s sales. He hummed under his breath as he worked. 

Dennis was sorting out some stocks when he said, "Harry, it's only five. Why are you closing up the shop so early?" 

Harry looked up at him and smiled widely. Dennis smiled back, a little surprised. He had never seen the older man smile as brightly as he did then.

"I got in, Dennis! I got accepted for the Creturae Healer scholarship! I'm having dinner out with Draco and Blaise so I can tell them," Harry grinned. 

Dennis rushed towards his friend, hugging him tightly, “Congratulations, Harry! This is great news!” Dennis let go of Harry, “This is your chance. I mean you've let Draco and Blaise have their time, it's your turn now. You deserve it!”

Harry grinned, “Thanks, mate.” 

"Tell you what,” Dennis began. "You can go on home and get ready for your dinner and I'll close up for the day. Where's the dinner gonna be, anyway?"

“I have a reservation at the Pearl Rose,” Harry began fussing with his clothes. 

Dennis whistled appreciatively. "You're pulling out all the stops, aren’t you? That's a mighty good restaurant. Expensive as hell but brilliant."

There was a smile on Harry's face but his eyes were sad as he said, “They deserve only the best."

Dennis frowned, "None of this feeling sorry for yourself crap mate. The three of you, you're soulmates. There's a reason why fate chose the three of you to be together forever and all that.” Harry shook his head. 

“You’re one of the lucky ones, Harry. To have found your mates so early. I hope I find mine soon.”

Harry smiled at Dennis, “I know you’ll find her or him soon, Dennis.” Harry pointed his wand to himself to freshen up. He didn’t notice Dennis’ frown.

Harry dusted himself off, grabbed his coat from where it was hanging on the rack and slipped it on. He patted his left arm absent-mindedly, feeling for where his wand was fastened securely in its holster. Still there. 

"I'll be off then, Dennis. Try not to burn the shop down, would you?" Harry teased as he walked out of the door.

"It was one time! And I only singed the Kneazles' fur!" Dennis yelled, laughing. 

It was a cool spring evening, the wind was blowing lightly. It was a beautiful evening to take a walk, Harry mused. Maybe Draco and Blaise would like to take a walk after dinner. They could go take the scenic route home through the park.

Harry apparated from the outside shop to the front door of his home in the outskirts of Wizarding London. It was a modest 3-bedroom, 2-storey home with a large yard. Though their home was nothing like Zabini Manor or Malfoy Manor but it was home-- at least, to Harry it was.

Home, it used to be such a foreign word to him. Growing up, all he had known was living in a house with the Dursleys. It was a house because there was no love lost between him and his relatives. But now, he had a home; a home he built, designed, decorated, cleaned and took care of. He put little bits of himself in his home; it was the work of his own two hands. His home was something he took great pride in. Harry had always wanted a home for himself, just him – but that was before he knew about the existence of soulmates and mate bonds, a phenomenon Muggles had yet to put a name to. 

Everyone has a soulmate, a person that completes you and complements your very being. Some people their them early in life, others find them later. No one really understands the process of finding your mate, it’s a process that varies from person to person. Most mate bonds are between two people, few are triads. It just so happened to be that Harry was one of those few. Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. 

Harry opened the door with the key hidden in the flowerpot. He preferred not to use Alomahora on their locks since it made them wear out faster. No one was home, but that wasn’t much of a suprise. Harry turned the lights on with a flick of his wand. 

His mates usually kept long hours. Draco had his Potions apprenticeship with Professor Snape and didn’t get home until 7 at the earliest. Blaise had an internship at St. Mungo’s and everyone knew that Healers kept odd hours. 

Harry had told them that morning to meet him at the Pearl Rose at half past seven. He didn’t say why, he wanted to surprise his mates with the good news. Harry cast Tempus, it was only a quarter past 5. He had more than enough time to fix the house a bit and clean up before he had to get to the restaurant.

Harry had chosen to start up the Magical Menagerie right after Hogwarts rather than get his mastery because he didn’t yet know what he wanted to do. He also wanted to support Draco and Blaise as they did their own mastery and chased after their dreams. He didn’t want them to worry about anything but their mastery so he kept house, he cooked, he cleaned. He laid out their clothes in the morning and made breakfast. He did the errands that they were too busy to do. He tried to be the perfect househusband for his mates. They deserved the best. Always. 

Harry glanced at the Family Clock that Narcissa Malfoy and Arachnea Zabini gave the three of them after their Hogwarts graduation. Draco’s clock hand pointed to class and Blaise’s clock hand pointed to hospital. In Blaise’s case, hospital doubled as work so Harry wasn’t worried. He kept himself busy in the kitchen, chopping and slicing and dicing for tomorrow's breakfast. Draco preferred a light breakfast while Blaise insisted on heavier fare. 

It was fifteen minutes after six when Harry went to the spare bedroom on the second floor where most of his clothes hung since they wouldn't fit with Draco and Blaise’s. He dressed in the green silk long-sleeved top Hermoine had gotten him for Yule and paired it with black slacks. Harry ran a comb through his perpetually messy hair in an attempt to make it stay in place. But as always, it refused to listen. 

“Darling, you know that you have never been able to tame that hair of yours,” the mirror said wryly. “Don’t bother with it, you look dashing." 

Harry felt his cheeks heat up, “Thanks, mate." He went downstairs in search of his good shoes--black, leather, and more importantly Draco-approved. He found them in the closet, hidden underneath Draco and Blaise's old shoes.

He stopped by the picture of his parents on the wall and waved at them, “I'll be going now, mom, dad." They couldn’t speak but they smiled and waved back all the same.

As he locked the front door behind him, Harry decided to walk to the Pearl Rose. Fresh air was always good for the heart and for the lungs. Harry still had plenty of time, it was still a quarter till seven. 

\--

There was a long line outside the Pearl Rose when Harry arrived. Men and women dressed to the nines, pearls and diamonds glittering in the dim light. Harry fell in line behind an older couple, still in love by the way they leaned into each other as they waited. Silent but content. Harry wanted that sort of happy ending. 

"Name please," the maitre d' at the door asked Harry. Her name tag read ‘Matilde.'

Harry smiled, "Harry Potter, I have a reservation."

The maitre d' looked over her scroll and scanned the list quickly. “Yes sir, here it is. Reservation for Harry Potter, party of three." Harry nodded, “That’s right."

Matilde called for a waiter, “Take Mr. Potter to table 15, Russ."

Russ smiled at Harry, "This way, Mr. Potter." Russ looked somewhere in his early 20s. Tall, pale-skinned, brown eyes, blonde hair. Russ knew he was attractive and wasn’t afraid to use it. 

"I'll be your server this evening, Mr. Potter. I give the best service, that is a fact," Russ winked. "Would you like to order now or later?"

Harry smiled faintly. “I'm waiting for someone." Harry cast Tempus, 7:15. Still early. Russ nodded but he seemed a bit disappointed. 

At half-past seven, Harry waved Russ over and ordered a Chardonnay and appetizers.

7:45. 8:00. 8:24. 8:57. 9:11. 9:45. 10:10. The table beside him had changed people thrice already. Russ had stopped coming by. 

One hour turned to two, two turned to three. His mates hadn’t arrived. He didn’t think they would ever arrive. Harry hadn’t ordered because he wanted them to order together. He bit his lip as tears threatened to fall. He had waited and waited and all they had done was make a fool out of him. Maybe they'd forgotten, he tried to tell himself. But how many times had they 'forgotten'? Always. How many times had he attended draco's stuffy parties and endured the jeers of blaise's classmates? Always. He could feel the tears but he resisted, Harry was determined not to let them make a bigger fool out of him.

All throughout the evening, he was taunted with seeing mated pairs all cuddled up lovey-dovey with each other while he sat alone at his table. He had seen the older couples look at him with pity, he couldn’t stand it. He didn’t want pity, all he had ever wanted was someone to love him. Harry didn’t bother to wave Russ over for the check, he simply left a couple Galleons on the table. Harry stood up and walked out of the restaurant without a second glance.

In another world, maybe Harry would’ve have taken Russ on his offer. In another world, maybe that Harry didn’t have mates. In another world, maybe but not this one. 

It was only when Harry stepped outside and a blast of the cool night air hit him that the tears started to fall. Big, fat tears of sorrow, regret, hate and heartbreak. His tears blurred his vision and the anger he felt made him blind to anything else.

"Oof!" Harry fell flat on his bottom when someone bumped into him. He removed his glasses, wiping them on his robes to clear the blurriness. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Draco and Blaise. His mates.

Draco and Blaise had bumped into him and they were clearly drunk. Their arms were around each other’s shoulders to keep each other from stumbling.

"Harry! Didn’t see you there!" Blaise had the audacity to grin at him. He didn’t seem to notice how upset Harry was. Harry stood up, dusting himself. Draco reached out to help Harry up but Harry slapped his hand away. 

"Harry? What's wrong?” Draco reached for him again, "Why are you crying?” Harry shook his head, the tears unstoppable now. Blaise tried to wrap an arm around Harry

"I hate you! I hate you both! All I asked was for the both of you to come out to dinner with me tonight! You didn't even have to pay! I waited and waited and waited for you! Everyone was staring, feeling sorry for me. l I said that you were busy at work and you were running late! It turns out that you forgot! You forgot! You go out drinking with your friends! I didn’t even know! You got drunk, you don’t even care about me! I can’t take it anymore! I give up!” Harry shouted, "Get away from me!” Harry pushed Draco away, shoved Blaise back.

Draco and Blaise stared at their mate in shock. Their eyes were less hazy but their movements were still lightly uncoordinated. They didn’t move, staring at Harry as he stumbled backwards away from them.

Harry stared at them, white chocolate and dark chocolate standing together. The past two years were filled with his insecure thoughts, he had often wondered how he managed to get these two as his mates and now, he wished he had never known them at all.

“I wish you weren’t my mates.” Harry said softly, words almost lost in the pop of apparition.


	2. How Do I Love Thee?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. After the semester ended, I travelled for a month so I had limited access to the internet. Thank you for all the reviews and well-wishes! Enjoy!

How do I love thee 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.  
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height  
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
For the ends of being and ideal grace.  
I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.  
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.  
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.  
I love thee with the passion put to use  
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.  
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose  
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,  
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,  
I shall but love thee better after death.  
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning

It was a habit for the Lady Malfoy to spend the evening after dinner in the library before retiring for the night especially when the Lord Malfoy was away. Although Narcissa would never admit that she usually spent these evenings reading Muggle poetry, it was an open secret to her family. It was not that she particularly enjoyed Muggle literature, it was just that she enjoyed reading the works of those that had it gotten it right. 

Narcissa pitied the Muggles. Just like wizards, Muggles had that the same urge within them to find their mates but unlike wizards, they had to go though life without the help of specialized senses to find their mates. It was a game of trial and error to find their mates and they had an entire world to search in.

Muggles thought too much of age, race, gender and societal norms. They were idiots to think that any of these things mattered, love is love. Narcissa couldn’t imagine feeling that incompleteness she felt before she met Lucius and never understanding, never knowing why. Narcissa Malfoy was a romantic at heart, that’s why she enjoyed reading poetry from the Muggles who were lucky enough to find their mate. 

Narcissa was startled, her reading interrupted, when the alarm rang. It wasn't one of those shrill alarms Muggles had but more of this urgent buzzing noise in her head like a particularly annoying bug. There were charms and hexes installed throughout the Manor to prevent stealing, unauthorized entry and other safeguards. But in such cases wherein these failsafes were bypassed, charms connected to either Malfoy patriarch or matriarch would alert them. Narcissa would have sent one of the house elves to check. But this time was different, someone had apparated straight into the Manor.

Such a thing was unheard of, there were anti-Apparition wards around the Manor. The closest apparition point was the moat a mile away, far enough for the Malfoys inside the Manor to defend themselves.

Narcissa stood up, hand gripping her wand tightly. She rushed towards the East Wing where the alarm buzzed louder and louder in Narcissa's head. She felt her heart beating faster and faster. The East Wing was where Draco, Blaise and Harry’s rooms were. Narcissa mentally catalogued her husband’s political adversaries, her own foes and even through all the hearts that her son had broken. 

Narcissa stopped in the middle of the hallway in the East Wing of the Manor, the loudest buzzing came from Harry's room. Narcissa carefully opened the door, wand held at the ready. Before she became a Malfoy, she was a Black — she knew curses that were as old and as deadly as the Black name. Toujours pur, toujours noir. Always pure, always black. 

If Narcissa was surprised when she saw who was in the room, she didn’t show. Her third son-in-law sat with his back to the door, piling clothes into a trunk. Clothes were strewn everywhere, books on top of every available surface. 

“Harry?” She hadn’t expected to see him so soon after Sunday dinner. More than that, she didn’t expect Harry to be cross through the Malfoy wards. 

“Mother.” Harry's voice was flat. “I got accepted into the Institute.” Narcissa noticed his red-rimmed eyes but didn’t comment. She crossed the room to him.

“That’s wonderful, Harry!” It wasn’t like him to not greet her with a hug. It wasn’t like him to make a mess. 

“Although I do wonder why you are packing your things?” Narcissa asked, sitting down elegantly beside Harry. "Certainly you don’t have to leave right this moment, we simply must celebrate! ” She reached for one of Harry’s robes and folded it neatly before placing it in his trunk.

“The semester starts in September, Mother.” Harry continued piling his belongings in the trunk, moving on to his books. 

“But it’s only June, dear. Where are you going?” Narcissa reached out to grab the green jumper half-hidden underneath the bed, it was Draco’s jumper but more often than not, Harry wore it.

“Away.” Narcissa folded the jumper and placed it inside the trunk only for Harry to take it and throw it behind him harshly. She gasped, startled. 

“Sorry for startling you, Mother but I won’t be bringing that.” Harry turned slightly to the side, allowing Narcissa to see the fresh tear tracks on his face.

She raised a porcelain-white hand to wipe a tear that fell. “What happened, Harry?” She asked softly. 

“Nothing out of the ordinary, Mother,” he smiled sadly at her, his green eyes clouded in anguish. “That’s why I have to leave.” 

Narcissa closed her eyes for a moment before she stood abruptly but gracefully, a move that others her age wouldn’t be able to do. Harry watched her for a moment but then turned back to packing, his back hunched tensely.

Narcissa strode to the dresser where the little knick-knacks that Harry collected were hidden, collecting dust. She rifled through its contents, searching. Rings, necklaces, pendant, keychains. Finally, she held up a pocket watch, its gold tarnished by time. She pushed the button to open the pocket watch. Its face had Roman numerals engraved onto it and the hands of the watch were stuck at half past twelve.

“Portus,” she intoned, pointing her wand at the pocket watch. It flashed a brilliant white for a second. 

Harry paid Narcissa no notice as he shut his trunk and locked it. His eyes as he rested his forehead against the cool wood of the trunk. 

“Harry,” he heard Narcissa call but he didn’t move. “This is for whenever you want to come home,” he felt her pressing something against his palm. Home, where was home? Home is where the heart is but what if your heart is broken? What then, where do you go?

Harry opened his eyes, glancing down at his palm. A tarnished pocket watch lay in his hand, a portkey. He took out his wand, shrinking the trunk and placing it in his pocket. Harry stood, the pocket watch held tightly in his hand.

“Thank you, Mother.” She opened her arms out and pulled him into a hug. He didn’t resist, he never could. Harry sank against her, reveling in the comfort. “No matter what has happened, you will always be my son. But I know that no matter what happened between the three of you, it will work out. The three of you are mates, you were made to be together.” Narcissa whispered. Harry doesn’t reply, he doesn’t need to. He simply shook his head.

“Harry, be careful. You can’t just separate yourself from your mates. You don’t know what’ll happen to you.”

“You can’t but there are ways to distance yourself from them, Mother.” He replied sadly. “Take care of the animals for me, Mother. Take care of yourself too, I love you.”

Before Narcissa could reply, Harry apparated away.

Later, when she checked the menagerie Harry had made for the animals he adopted, Sol is gone. She doesn’t worry, Sol had always stuck beside Harry, this time is no different. Harry needed someone to mother him in her place.

\-----

 

There was no other woman in the Wizarding World that was as shrouded in mystery as Lady Arachnea Zabini. Her name was whispered by both purebloods and the common folk. Some days, when she was bored enough, she would listen to the rumors surrounding her and laugh at the stories they tell. Ridiculous tales spread by people that had nothing better to do than gossip. 

The sole reason that she was so mysterious to was that it was in her job description to be secretive. Discretion was your best ally when you were an Unspeakable. Secrecy was even more important when you were Chief Unspeakable. 

Arachnea was jaded. She was worn thin from sorting through paperwork, trying to decipher the truth from the lies. Her red over-robe was thrown haphazardly over a chair piled high with paperwork like blood spilt. Her hair was piled up in a messy bun, she cared not. There was no one here to see her, she had no image to protect. Arachnea’s skin was fairer than her son’s who had gotten his coloring from his late father. One characteristic that Blaise had gotten from her though was her eyes, warm brown eyes that beguiled people to speak. 

“Look into my eyes,” was her trademark line. She had gotten many a confession that way. It was how she got Blaise to tell her the truth after a prank gone wrong, it was how she knew that Dumbledore spoke the truth when no one else believed. A gift or a curse, her ability had always been a double-edged sword.

Ding. Dong. Arachnea wondered who would visit her so late at night. What visitor of hers would bother to use the door and not the Floo?

If Arachnea Zabini was surprised to see Harry Potter on her doorstep, she didn’t show it. She had kept her calm in situations much worse than her son-in-law giving her a surprise visit. She noted the tear tracks on his face, his reddened eyes. She embraced him and then held him at arms’ length, “Who has hurt you so, precioso?"

Harry shook his head, “I was accepted for the Creturae Healer scholarship, mama.” 

“Then why do you cry?” Who do I need to kill, Arachnea thought but chose not to voice it. Sometimes, Harry’s Gryffindor sensibilities were not to her taste. 

Harry looked at her in the eyes and whispered, “Because I’m leaving mama.” Her son-in-law closed his eyes, “I’m leaving them.” He spoke the truth, Harry had looked her in the eyes. She wanted to ask him why but she couldn’t do that to Harry. It was his story to tell.

After her mate, Blaise’s papa, had died, Arachnea had studied intensively on mates and mate bonds. Unspeakables were not infallible, it was necessary to know what would happen in case one of her people lost their mate. For an entire month, the entire Unspeakable community did extensive study on mates and mate bonds. She knew the consequences, the good, the bad and the ugly. She had gathered her data by gathering husbands of different statuses. Patrick’s mate had died in childhood, Aleksander’s mate had another mate, Lars hadn’t yet found his mate. That report was kept in the Unspeakable Archives, not to be seen or read by the public. 

“Is this your choice, precioso?” she asked sharply. 

“Yes, mama,” his voice was weak but certain. 

Arachnea hugged Harry tighly, feeling the tears forming behind her closed eyelids. “Then you have my blessing, my son. Night or day, I am here.”

“Thank you, Mama.” Harry whispered. Thank you for not asking why. 

 

\-----

Blaise and Draco were still standing in the middle of the sidewalk, watching the spot Harry where disappeared.

"What the bloody hell just happened?" Draco ground out, his arm tightened around Blaise’s waist.

"Looks like your mate just left you boys." An old man sitting on a bench pointed. His gray hair was peppered with brown, his robes tattered and well-worn. He blew a smoke ring from his pipe. “Good riddance, seems like."

"None of your damn business," Blaise choked out. He turned to Draco, “I hope you have a bloody good idea. What the hell do we do?"

“Why are you asking me? I don’t bloody know! It's not like I've ever been in a situation like this before!" Draco shouted. He had a headache, the beginning of a hangover. He couldn't deal with this right now. Draco removed his arm from Blaise’s waist to rub at his temples. 

"Like hell you haven't!" Blaise stared at his mate in the eye, fists clenched. . "You were the one that made him almost leave us in seventh year!"

"It's not like I expected to have a third mate! And for it to be Harry bloody Potter too! It's just as much as your fault as it is mine!" Draco yelled.

"You'll never get that mate o' yours back if you keep arguing." The old man took a deep inhale from his cigarette. He exhaled. "That is if you want him back. I've seen that boy of yours, from that petshop. Always seemed like a good sort, wonder what he did to deserve you two." The old man blew another smoke ring before stood up and walked away.

Draco and Blaise went quiet.

"Maybe he's back at the house," Blaise said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "We should apologize."

"It's worth a try." Draco took out his wand. "We'll meet at the house."

Like Harry had done half an hour before, Draco and Blaise apparated away.


End file.
